Toy cannon.



J. B. BLACKSHEAR.

TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED-FEB. 16. 1918.

1,289,622., Patented Dec. 3]., 1918.

WITNESSES l/VI/EIVTOR ATTORNEYS JAMES BAYARD BLACKSHEAR, F HbNOLULU,TERRITORY OF I-IAVV'ATI.

TOY CANNON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1918. Serial No. 217,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMES B. BLAOKSHEAR, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii,have invented a new and Improved Toy Cannon, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention although adapted for different projectiles, as will appear,is, more particularly intended for the firing of a sectional projectileadapted to bedisrupted in striking an object, such a projectile formingthe subject-matter of a separate application of even date herewith,Serial No. 217,598.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy cannon improved invarious particulars with respect to the breech and the elementsassociated therewith to insure the proper insertion of the projectilewith facility and also with respect to the firing means, trigger, andthe controlling means therefor.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, it being understood that thedrawings are merely illustrative of one example of theinvention. 7

Figure 11s a partly sectional side elevation of a cannon embodying myinvention,

. Fig. 3 is a cross section onthe line 3-3,"

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a slightmodification of the barrel to take a round projectile.

Incarrying out my invention, the structure i cludes a suitable frame orsupporting body 10 mounted on a wheeled axle 11, the numeral 13indicating a wheel and thev numeral 12, depending brackets on the body10 integral therewith, through which brackets the axle 11 extends.

Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1 but show- The barrel 1 1 of the cannonhas, an arched breech 15, the rear end of which is open for the entranceof a projectile A, the particular form of the projectile illustrated notconstituting a part of the present invention but being the subjectmatter of the concurrent application above mentioned. The height of thearched breech 15' is preferably slightly less than the diameter of theprojectile A to require that the projectile be forced into said breech.The material of the arched breech 15 is slightly yielding so that inforcing the projectile against the top of the arch the sides of the archwill be slightly sprung inwardly and the arch will tend-to restoreitself after the projectile has entered, thereby tending to throw theprojectile downwardly in front of the ejector hereinafter described.

, On the barrel atthe rear end aretaining spring 16 may be employed,projecting into the housing 16 and being adapted to yield downwardly topermit the projectile to pass beyond the spring and be engaged by itsend. Said spring is' secured in any suitable manner as by a rivet 17. Inthe rear'of the breech and in line with the barrel is a'frame 18 of anysuitable form, closed at its rear end 19 andformed with, or secured atits front end to, the rear end 23 of the barrel or breech chamber.Operating in the barrel at the breech is an ejector including a head orplunger 20 and a reciprocating plunger rod 22, which extends through theend 23 and througha transverse partition 24 of the frame 18. A coilspring 21 surrounds the rod .22 between the head 20 and the end closure23. A trigger 25'is arranged slidguided reciprocating movement.The'forward hooked end of the trigger presents a catch 27 adaptedtoengagea flange or collar 22 on the rod '22, which collar inftheillustrated form limits the forward movement of thev rod under theaction of the spring.21.' I I V The arrangement is such that a rearwardpull on the trigger 25, when the latter is enl gaged iwith the collar,22*, will move 'the plunger rod 22 and the head 20 rearwardly,

thereby compressing the spring 21 and per- 1'nitting;the:proj ectile'Ato take its placein front of said plunger as indicated in Fig. 2'. Thebarrel is slightly inclined to prevent the projectile from accidentallysliding from the barrel. To operate the triggerto exert a rearward pullon the rod 22,1 pro videa wire 28 or equivalent flexible element whichis secured at its forwardend to a lug 25 or the like on the=trigger andextends through the rear end 19 of the frame 18 and through a flexibletubular element;29 which may '"be madeof coiled Wire after theqmanner ofa-fiexibleshaft and the :forward end of said tubular element 29beingsecured to the frame 18. -Onthe tubular element 29.,at the rear endis a rigid tubesection 33, slidable on =whichis a sleeve3l having a lug37 thereon projecting radially inward through a longitudinal slot 38inthe tube section 33 andto .which'lug the outer end of the pull wire.28 is fastened. Theitube 33 and sleeve 34Jhave *fianges:35, 36respectively thereon, nso 'that'the :operator may place his thumbagainst 'the' flange that is, against the end of-the tube33 and graspthe flange 3,6between the fingers of the same hand to draw the flangestoward each other, whereby to exert a pull on the wire 28. The numeral39 indicates a spring coiled aboutthe trigger 25,between-the lug 25 andthe end 19 of the frame 18 and constituting one example of a 7 means torestore the trigger and the pull the :breech 15, and with the plunger 20in The projectile A'having been inserted in the forward position, theproj ectile will 1 rest onthe plunger and will be retained by the spring116 until the plunger is drawn rearwardly against the tension of thespring21 by (a relative movement of :the flanges 35, -3 6-to exert apull on the wire28 and draw the trigger 25 rearwardly. Before thetrigger hasarrivedatthe limit of its-rearward movement, the ejector head,20 will have j moved-.rrearwardlytopermitthepro ectile A I to take itsplace in front of said head. In

order to cause the further rearward movementofthetrigger 25 .to releasethe plunger l rod-22by "disengagementfrom the collar 22*, ,II form acam25* on the trigger which is adapted {to engage the partition 24 ;at thebottom of the notch ,26, thereby rocking the trigger sufficiently todisengage the notched end 27 thereof from the collar 2 2?,'thusreleasingthe plunger rod and permitting the ispringZl ,to throw theejector forwardly for liSche gelill-er the projectile.

In theliormishown in Fig. ltheubarrel 14? has an upstanding tubularinlet'15 at the through eWhlQll around projectile A may be dropped. .Theother .p arts'indicated gintheifigure correspond with those first .de-,scribed and-therefore bear the same identifying characters.

' ing an-open rear end 'throughwhich a pro-..

jectile-may be entered approximately parallel with the barrel, aspring-pressed plunger in the barrel at the breech chamber and adaptedwhen vin the forward position to retaining spring at the rear end .ofthe breech chambensaid springbeing yieldable to an entering projectileand adapted to engagethe rearlendfof the same after entrance in thebreech chamber, the plunger being movable to .a rearwardposition'topermit the projectile to takeits place in thebarrel in frontof the plunger and out of engagement with the retaining sprin and meansto control sald plunger.

form a temporary rest for-theprojectile, a--

' 2( A toy cannon including abarreladapted' to receivena projectile, aspring-pressed ejector for discharging a projectile from the barreharectilineally reclprocating element to :carry the same rearwardly andcompress the spring thereof, means to actuate said reciprocatingelement, and means to automatically release the ejector from saidelement after the spring of the ejector has been compressed. I c

A toy cannon including a barrel, a spring-pressed plunger in the barrelat the breech, adaptedtoeject aprojectile, a plunnormally engaging theejector and adapted ger rodextending rearwardly from the plun ger, alongitudinally slidable triggerin the rear of-the barrel, coactingmembers on said triggerand ;rod, .a spring tending to maintain thetrigger in a forward position with saidcoacting members inengagement,means 7 to reciprocate the trigger to give rearward movementthereto forimparting ai'earward movement to the plunger rod and plunger, meanstorestore the trigger to the" forward position, and means to disengagethe trigger fromthe'plunger rod by an extreme'rear ward ,inoviementofthe trigger,

A toy cannon g ncluding a barrel, a

spring-pressed plunger therein for firing a proj,ectile,ca,frame in therear of the barrel, a plunger rod carried 'by said plunger, the plungerrod extending longitudinally Of'said frame, a trigger mounted toreciprocate in the said frame, coacting elements ontl-ie trigger andplunger rod adapted to be engaged or disengaged so that a rearwardmovement of the trigger will draw the plunger rod and plungerrearwardly, a flexible pull ele- 5 ment connected With the trigger andextend ing rearwardly beyond the frame, a tubular flexible memberthrough Which said pull ele ment extends, means slidable on the rear endof said tubular member and connected With the rear end of the said pullelement, 10 and means to effect a disengagement of the trigger andplunger rod upon the final rear- Ward movement of the trigger.

JAMES BAYARD BLAGKSHEAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

